Claim to fame: Deepak Chopra is one of the nation’s pioneers in the mind-body connection movement. Born in New Delhi, India, Chopra began his medical career firmly in the Western medicine tradition, but as a young endocrinologist in Boston, he became interested in Ayurveda, a form of alternative medicine with Hindu roots. He penned his first bestseller, Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, in 1993, and in 1996, he founded the Chopra Center for Wellbeing in Carlsbad, Calif., with Dr. David Simon, a neurologist. Though he spends much of his time writing and speaking these days, Chopra remains a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. He is the author of 65 books—20 bestsellers—the latest of which is Super Brain: Unleashing the Explosive Power of Your Mind to Maximize Health, Happiness and Spiritual Well-Being, with Dr. Rudolph E. Tanzi. Chopra is also extremely active on the web, with a popular YouTube channel, The Chopra Well, and more than a million followers on Twitter (@DeepakChopra).

Health philosophy: “‘Take it easy.’ That’s my ultimate secret to a happy life. That’s what I want on my epitaph.”

Vitamins and supplements: Multivitamin, vitamin D, and a supplement he helped create called Endorphinate, which includes amino acids, ginkgo biloba, vitamin B6 and B12, folate and magnesium. He also drinks two cups of coffee a day.

Favorite workout: Walking and yoga. “When I’m in New York, I try to walk about 10 miles a day, and if not, I try to walk 5,” he says. He loves yoga’s sun salutations for flexibility and muscle conditioning.

Favorite healthy meal: For breakfast, cucumbers, tomatoes and olive oil with a boiled egg. For lunch, fish and vegetables.

Secret weapon: Meditating daily from 4-6 a.m., followed by an hour of exercise and yoga. “I’m not suggesting everybody do that, but it’s something I’ve done for the last 30 years,” he says. “Then the rest of the day, I just go with the flow.